To get from Green Turtle Cay to Great Guana Cay, we had to make our way through Whale Cay Cut which takes you out of the sea of Abaco and into the Atlantic Ocean for a period of time. This is necessary for most boaters because there is a great deal of shoaling in the Sea of Abaco from Green Turtle to Guana that makes it pretty impassible without grounding out. Thus, taking Whale Cay Cut is the only good option to get north and south through that area. However, can be a very dangerous and even deadly cut, so we waited to tackle it on a calm day. For us, this would be a first, so we took extra precautions to make sure we were going to be safe.
We monitored all of the weather apps prior to departing and listened to the local weather reports carefully. We also reached out by VHF to several boaters who were already in the cut to see how the seas were faring. We determined it was the right time to go. I can’t say it was the easiest. We experienced four foot waves at one point, with the bow of our boat diving in and out of the water, and sea spray coming all the way up to our helm station (good thing we had the enclosures up). But all in all, that didn’t last long, and it wasn’t as scary as we expected. On our way back into the Sea of Abaco from the ocean, we had to carefully stay in the old shipping channel to avoid shoaling, so we followed the motto “slow is pro,” and we made it to Guana Cay without any hitches. It turned out to be a great day to leave as the winds picked up the following day and we would have been stuck at Green Turtle for a week before another good weather window came up to make the passage.
We anchored in Fisher’s Bay on the west side of Guana. The holding was good and there is a lot of room for boats, but there is not a lot of wind protection, especially from the west. It can get pretty rolly here. For that reason, we didn’t stay long in Guana Cay.
On our two-day stay here, we had just enough time to visit Guana Dive shop, shop at the grocery store, have a snack at Grabber’s restaurant one day, and lunch at Snapper’s beach restaurant another day. And, of course, walk along the pristine 5-1/2 mile stretch of beach.
I will say that the grocery store was very nice and quite well stocked, but you have to get there early after the shipment arrives. The produce goes especially fast. The cashier told me that all of the food is shipped from Marsh Harbor to Baker’s Bay (a private resort on the northern tip of the cay), and then distributed to this little grocery store. If you’re ever there, ask what day the shipment arrives and you should be able to get the freshest food and find more of what you’re looking for.
The cashier also mentioned that there were several people who sold fresh eggs in town, so don’t hesitate to ask the locals if you’re looking for something. They are usually very happy to help. One thing we determined about groceries while cruising in The Bahamas is that you take what you can get. If you were planning on making homemade salsa and wanted to buy tomatoes and jalapeños, you may need to alter your plans and buy jarred salsa instead; or, change your meal plan altogether. You learn to cook with what’s available, and it’s kind of exciting that way! By the way, there is a great well-stocked hardware store on the island as well. It’s just a little odd as it’s at the lumber yard. You can find some boat parts there as well!
The best part about Great Guana Cay is the 5-1/2 mile stretch of beach on the Atlantic side. The views are breathtaking, the sand is soft, the water is a beautiful turquoise, and the reef offshore is stunning (so we’re told)!
We returned to Guana on our way ba